Classical Music Notes: PSO to play piece about condemned witch

Tuesday, November 07, 2006

By Andrew Druckenbrod, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra will open its next concerts with a decidedly darker tone with James MacMillan's "The Confession of Isobel Gowdie."

In the 26-minute work (written in 1990), the Scottish composer brings to light the harrowing case of a young woman condemned to die for witchcraft during the Scottish Reformation of the 17th century. MacMillan captures the horror of the senseless, church-sanctioned torture leading to her ridiculous confession in which she claims she could turn into a hare and ultimately grants her "the requiem that Isobel Gowdie never had."

Guest conductor Marin Alsop leads the PSO in the powerful piece, then invites Irish pianist Barry Douglas on stage for Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 2. Tchaikovsky's musical depiction of a tortured soul (his own), Symphony No. 4, ends the concerts.
Link